Action Alert

Dear MA Appleseed supporter,

The Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation (MLAC) is the state’s leading provider of funds for civil legal aid – yet nearly two-thirds of qualified applicants are turned away every day due to a lack of resources.  Without legal help, these individuals are forced to navigate the complex civil justice system on their own, facing critical life altering legal issues such as eviction, debt collection, domestic violence, and child custody. Without legal help on such matters, people can lose their families, their homes, and their livelihoods.

YOU CAN HELP! 

This week, the Senate Ways & Means Committee released the 2018 budget plan that would level-fund the appropriation for civil legal aid at $18 million. This is $2 million less than the amount the House appropriated for legal aid last month.  Senators Cindy Creem and Will Brownsberger will file an amendment to add back that additional $2 million for the MLAC line-item (0321-1600), but they need co-sponsors. 

HERE’S WHERE YOU COME IN!

Click here to email your State Senator today and ask them to sign on to the Creem-Brownsberger amendment on the MLAC line-item before the end of today.

Let your senators know how important this issue is for access to justice in Massachusetts!

Don’t know who your State Senator is? Look your legislators up here.

Not sure what to say? Look up talking points here.

Are you a constituent of Sen. Creem or Sen. Brownsberger? Great! Send them an email to thank them for their leadership on this important issue.

Eager to learn more about the state budget process? Go to our website for an easy-to-understand explanation!

Senators have only until the end of the day today to co-sponsor budget amendments, so please contact your State Senator NOW!

Thank you for your continued support.

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Massachusetts Appleseed joins over three dozen civil rights and education groups on letter condemning Mystic Valley Regional Charter School dress code policy

Massachusetts Appleseed joined the American Civil Liberties Union, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice and other civil rights and education groups on a letter to the Mystic Valley Regional Charter School demanding it permanently rescinded its dress code policy that bans hair extensions and hair that is more than 2 inches in height to ensure that African American students receive equal treatment. The letter also calls for the school to remove all detentions and suspensions imposed on students for violating these rules from the students records.